1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to farming implements, and more specifically relates to a hand-operated device for easily lifting and moving a hay bale or other similar object without physical strain or exertion.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of grains, grasses and other plant materials grown under agricultural conditions are cut and baled out in the field. For many centuries, farm hands would physically lift the bales of plant material in the fields and place them in a cart, wagon or truck for transport off the field. Once the bales were delivered off the field, farm hands would remove the bales from the transport means and physically move the bales to other areas for storage, or for transport to market. In the last century, large farming equipment has been developed to pick up bales of hay and the like from the field for transport to a storage area or for sale on the market. Despite the development of large bale-moving equipment, there are still many occasions when it is impractical or impossible to move bales of plant material using large equipment, either because the few number of bales that need to be moved does not warrant using large equipment or the place where the bales are located will not accommodate a large truck or other devices. In such instances, the bales must be moved by hand. Moving bales of material by hand is not only physically exhausting, but can only be done by persons possessing relatively greater strength.
Recognizing that there are occasions when bales of plant material must be moved by hand, various implements have been used to carry out the task. Principally, conventional hand carts or wheelbarrows have been used to move bales of plant material. Others devices have been specifically developed for use in carrying a bale of plant material, but such devices usually comprise the same elements as hand carts or wheelbarrows. These hand-operated devices have in common the fact that they require the user to lift the heavy bale of plant material onto the device for transport. As a result, the task of moving heavy bales of plant material is still a strenuous job which can only be undertaken by persons of relatively greater strength. Known hand-operated bale transport devices cannot, therefore, be used by smaller children or adults with reduced strength capabilities.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a hand-operated device for enabling an individual of even modest strength to easily engage and lift a heavy bale of plant material to transport it a distance without requiring physical lifting of the bale and without requiring or causing undue strain.
In accordance with the present invention, a device for lifting and transporting is provided which is structured to be easily hand-operated and maneuverable to engage and transport bales of plant material, or similar objects, without having to physically lift the object to engage it with the transportation device. The configuration and construction of the present invention is such that persons of even modest strength can engage heavy bale-like objects and transport them a considerable distance. The device of the present invention is useful in engaging and transporting any number of objects, but is described herein with respect to engaging and transporting bales of hay by way of example only.
The device of the present invention generally comprises a pair of lateral arms pivotally connected to and oriented rearward of a wheel assembly. Both the lateral arms and wheel assembly have associated therewith bale-engaging members which are brought into engagement with a bale of hay by movement of the lateral arms and wheel assembly. Once the device has been maneuvered into place relative to the bale of hay, and the bale-engaging members have been brought into engagement with the bale of hay, the lateral arms are lifted upward, thereby lifting the bale of hay from the ground so that it can be moved. Transport of the bale is accomplished by exerting forward motion on the device to advance the wheel in a forward direction. Once the bale of hay has been delivered to its intended destination, the lateral arms are pivoted away from each other to disengage the bale-engaging members from the bale and the wheel assembly is urged forward and away from the bale of hay to disengage the bale-engaging member of the wheel assembly from the bale of hay. The device of the present invention may preferably include linkage mechanisms interconnecting the lateral arms to the wheel assembly to facilitate connection of the bale-engaging members to the bale of hay.